Upcoming Events
Saturday, May 2, 2026
10:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.
All ages welcome
Free, registration not required.
Join us for First Saturday Cart Talks at the HDNM! Visitors will enjoy a hands-on experience while learning about local desert animals.
Explore how skull shapes reveal what animals eat and feel the textures of different furs while learning about the wildlife that lives in our region.
Perfect for curious minds of all ages, Stop by, ask questions, and discover the stories these natural treasures tell!
Saturday, May 23, 2026
All ages welcome!
Head to the HDNM for the opening of the 2026 youth summer exhibit, Turtle Travels!
Step onto the giant game board, grab a tortoise game piece, and give the spinner a whirl to begin your turtle journey. Before you reach the finish line, visit each interactive station to learn about how to protect turtles from the hazards they face. Find out what it’s like for a turtle trying to cross a road or traverse changing habitats. Be a turtle tracker and see how real field biologists track animals in the wild. Trek along this turtle terrain and you’ll find out that slow and steady not only wins the race, but takes turtles on some amazing journeys!
Saturday, June 13, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Free for all ages. No registration required!
Get ready for a wild day of scales, smiles, and family fun at Repti-Palooza Family Fun Day at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum and Yucca Valley Community Center!
This exciting community event brings the fascinating world of reptiles to life with live reptile shows, interactive reptile-themed education booths, hands-on crafts, an inflatable obstacle course, delicious food vendors, lively music, and plenty of activities to keep everyone engaged.
Summer Camp – Junior Naturalist
3-Day Camp Ages 7-9
June 17-19, 2026
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$50 per camper – Registration required!
This summer, let your child’s curiosity blossom! Our three-day Jr. Naturalist Camp invites kids to become explorers of the natural world through hands-on adventures at the museum and beyond.
With a mix of outdoor exploration, creative activities, and plenty of playful discoveries, this camp is the perfect way for kids to connect with nature and spark their sense of wonder.
Click here for more information or to register!
Exhibits on Display
On display May 23 - September 5, 2026
Step onto the giant game board, grab a tortoise game piece, and give the spinner a whirl to begin your turtle journey. Before you reach the finish line, visit each interactive station to learn about how to protect turtles from the hazards they face. Find out what it’s like for a turtle trying to cross a road or traverse changing habitats. Be a turtle tracker and see how real field biologists track animals in the wild. Trek along this turtle terrain and you’ll find out that slow and steady not only wins the race, but takes turtles on some amazing journeys!
Click here to learn more about this incredible hands-on exhibit!
Turtle Travels was developed by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative (EEC) and funded by Jane’s Trust and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and produced by Ecotarium (Worcester, MA) in partnership with the Sciencenter (Ithaca, NY).
Our Giant Rock: A Community Touchstone in the Mojave
A digital exhibit and archive about Giant Rock, a 30,000 ton granite boulder located in the Morongo Basin.
This interactive touchscreen exhibit encourages visitors to discover and explore the nuances that make Giant Rock a unique and cherished Morongo Basin landmark. Giant Rock is most notoriously known for the ‘giant’ personalities who lived near and even under it. However, it has also served as an intermediary for certain stories and events. The exhibit provides a series of interpretive narratives explaining these nuances while incorporating some never-before-seen images, documents, publications, and videos which help illustrate Giant Rock’s history.
Our Giant Rock: A Community Touchstone in the Mojave,was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Subscribe to our Tortoise Tales Newsletter:
Would you like to make a donation? Museum staff are happy to accept your donation in person or you can click the link below to be taken the Recreation Management portal to complete an online donation. Simply click on the green Museum tab, then Museum Sponsorship, and select your donation level. Your donations help fund children’s education programming, animal caretaking, exhibit maintenance, and so much more! Thank you for your kind donation!
